1. Technical Field
This application relates to a surgical suturing device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a suturing system, an instrument for applying the suturing system, and a method for applying the suturing system using the instrument.
2. Related Art
Surgical fastener-applying devices are well known, wherein opposing jaw structures grasp and clamp selected tissue, which is then joined by means of surgical fasteners. Typically, one of the jaw members includes a cartridge which houses a plurality of staples arranged in two or more linear rows and the other jaw member includes an anvil having a plurality of staple forming pockets for receiving and forming the legs of the staples. Linear stapling instruments, for example, include two elongated jaw members, movable relative to each other, to capture or clamp tissue.
Surgical fastener-applying devices utilizing two-part fasteners are also known. Two-part fasteners include a barbed fastener used in conjunction with a retaining piece to hold the fastener in place. Typically, the two-part fastener comprises a back-span and two barbed prongs which are engaged and locked into a separate retainer piece. In use, the fastener is pressed into the body tissue so that the barbs penetrate the tissue and emerge from the other side where they are then locked into the retainer piece. The retainers prevent the fastener from working loose from the tissue. The two piece fasteners cannot be unlocked and are not easily removable. For this reason, they are typically made of a bioabsorbable material.